Cola Girl
by XOXbrokenAnimedreamsXOX
Summary: Ichigo walks with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the floor. Pain and grief radiate off of him, leaking into his soul energy. I can feel it from across the street. But I can't help but smile, bitterly. He must have really loved her. And I know she loved him, which is why I can't fail. I have to bring him home; that's what Orihime would want. I can do that. I hope. [reader]
1. Chapter 1

"_I could not tell if I loved you the first moment I met you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking toward me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you"_

_-Cassandra Clare_

* * *

Ichigo wiped in a circular motion, soggy cloth cleaning the remains of alcohol created from the previous guest. With a soft clink, Ichigo set the glasses into a small container, which had accumulated quite a bit of glass over the last hour. Clearly the dish-boy left early again, meaning Ichigo's job list had added weight to it. Fantastic; another late night.

"Excuse me?" Ichigo abandoned the dishes, turning towards the new customer at the end of the bar. With a sigh, he threw the rag over his shoulder and made his way down.

"What can I…" His movements slowed, almost stopping completely as his eyes set on the customer. Suddenly, as a rowdy shout emitted from the far corner of the bar, Ichigo found his speech. Pink dusted his cheeks. "What can I get you?" he asked with a generous amount of enthusiasm.

The girl smiled, as if Ichigo hadn't stopped to stare at all, and laced her fingers on the top of the bar counter. "Cola on the rocks, please!" Again, Ichigo hesitated. Was this girl playing him? But the smile she wore convinced him otherwise, which is why he turned on his heel to go fetch the girl a glass.

Within seconds he had a small glass of ice, and was filling it up with Cola. From his peripheral Ichigo could see the outline of her red jacket, which she had decided to keep on. Everything about the girl looked innocent; her hair, her clothes, her voice; hell even her drink! What the heck is a girl like _her_ doing in an area like this one?

The girl stuck out like a sore thumb; just one glance around the bar and Ichigo was convinced she was lost. Dangerous men roamed the building; drunken idiots, a gang member here and there, perverts who were probably convicted on various occasions, and mafia types. The women were just as bad, if not worse. Ichigo only agreed to work in that bar because he was desperate for a job, which happened to be desperate for an employee. Besides, with Ichigo's past training, he could handle any of the thugs that walked through the door.

The glass swished as he placed it down in front of the girl, his light eyes burning into hers. She hadn't seemed to notice, though, being too preoccupied with the liquid placed before her.

[e/c] orbs lit up as she coiled her fingers around the cup. "Thank you so much!" Within three gulps the pop was downed and the empty cup was set back on the counter, gently. Her pink tongue glided over her upper lip, replacing the traces of cola with a glossy shine. "That really hit the spot!"

Ichigo cracked a smile, fighting against his strong urge to frown.

"Glad to help, I guess."

With that, he turned to walk away. A pool table was set up a few meters away from the bar, where three men had been playing for the last ten minutes. It was hard not to notice their wandering eyes, which were fastened on the girl in red. Normally Ichigo wouldn't pry; he'd let his customers sort themselves out, or let the bouncer deal with them. But this time, Ichigo got himself involved.

"Are you lost?" The girl looked up from her cell phone, eyes influenced by the tips of her lips, which twitched upwards, almost like a forced smile.

"No; I came down here to look for someone." Ichigo's gut twisted. He found his muscles tense under the intensity of the girl's stare, which was unblinking. Awkwardly, Ichigo tore his eyes from hers to scan the bar once again. The bar had a decent amount of people occupying it; twenty at least. All shared a similar rugged look to them; the kind that causes you to assume they live a tough life.

"Did you find them?" Finally, she diverted her eyes. She brought the glass to her lips, tilting it back until an ice cube slid into her mouth. Wordlessly, she nodded her head. Her eyes fluttered around the room, never staying on a spot for more than two seconds. As her jaw crushed the ice, a thud on the counter sounded.

"Two scotches," A raspy voice called, which Ichigo complied with. He rushed with the order, eager to get back to the girl in red. He set the drinks down, took the money, and made a move towards the end of the counter. His feet stopped his advance…

When did she leave?

His widened eyes quickly resized as he made his way to the empty glass. Under the cup was a folded $20 bill, along with a creased paper napkin. The blue ink was scribbled, but the writing was still readable.

_Hope your night gets better_

_-Cola girl_

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hello! So this will be a very short series, maybe just 8 or 9 chapters (which'll be ficlet-sized). I posted this story on quizilla a while ago, but decided to rebuff and alter it a bit, and re-post it here, since Quizilla is suuuuper slow nowadays.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this mini series. I am considering making a sequel to the story, but that's only if you guys want me to. So if you end up enjoying it, please let me know if you want a sequel! ^^


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the comments you guys! ^^ That's one vote for a sequel ! _

_**2\. **_

The night was dead; a solemn customer at one end of the bar, and a young tattooed couple making out by the worn sofa in the corner of the pub. But Ichigo wasn't complaining; an easy night means an easy closing, which was only in two hours time.

Ichigo found a spot in the back room, sitting on a wooden stool. His back hunched as he stared intently at the engraved badge, the one that had been given to him four years ago when his entire life had changed. He'd thrown it out a couple months ago, and somehow the damn thing found its way back to his room. He should have burned the thing. It only makes him second guess himself, his decision.

"Hello?"

The badge fell from Ichigo's grasp, landing on the floor between a pair of black wedges with peeking painted toenails. His eyes slowly made their way up the girl's slender legs, over the vibrant red coat, the black knitted scarf and tumbling [h/c] locks of hair- and landed on a smiling face. The girl quickly knelt down, scooping the badge up to examine it. Ichigo was quick to snatch it back.

"W-What are you doing back here?!" The girl was unfazed by his shout; instead turning on her heel to lead Ichigo back out to the front of the bar, using quick strides. She flicked her hand by her head, as if dismissing the action.

"Sorry; but I've been waiting out there for at least ten minutes now. Next time I'll be sure to bring my patience~" There was an undertone to her sweet voice, one which caused Ichigo to furrow his brows. He wasn't going to apologize.

"So what're you having?"

The girl sat on the same stool as the other night, her hands intertwined on the grey counter. She flashed him a pearly smile. "Cola please!"

Ichigo was skeptical, but gave it to her none the less. The girl, peculiar as she is, had strayed far from the boy's mind since the first night upon meeting her. Ichigo had assumed she'd never make another appearance; that she was disappointed with the shape of the pub (like so many of her status had been), which is why she made a quick escape that night.

She had seen the customers, the neighborhood it's stationed in, and the lack of friendly employees. So what brought her back? Did she reside close by, and had no other choice but to come there? No, there's a convince store just down the block; if all she wanted was cola than she could just go there.

Wait, wasn't she looking for someone?

"So what did you buy?" Ichigo blinked clueless at the girl, who stared at him over the rim of her glass. When she parted it from her lips, she added "the tip I left you, what did you buy with it?" Hesitantly, Ichigo started to clean an invisible spill on the counter.

"Nothing. I'm saving right now."

She quirked a brow, "you're saving," she said uneasily. "For what?" Ichigo shrugged a shoulder.

"University, mostly." The girl must have been satisfied with his answer, because she diverted her eyes to the plate of brownies that sat in a glass case by the bottles of liquor.

"Are those any good?" Ichigo ceased his cleaning to take a glance over his shoulder.

"I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I couldn't say. But they sell quickly," mostly because a lot of customers come in high as the Empire State, but he neglected to add that in. The girl bit down on her lower lip. "I'll take one."

The moment the brownie was set in front of her, the girl took the pastry into her hand and sunk her teeth into the corner. Ichigo paused to watch as her brows creased, and her eyelids sealed shut, almost in a painful way, like he had just told her that her family had died in a fire. She slowly chewed the pastry, savoring it. Ichigo made a face; did it taste awful…? As she swallowed her lids opened; there was a flash of surprise in them, which she hid seconds after revealing herself. A smile took place.

That was odd.

"I meant to ask you; where is that badge from?" Ichgio nearly tripped over his own feet; he grabbed the counter to stable himself. "The one you dropped when I walked in."

"Why do you want to know?" He hadn't meant to snap as much as he did, but didn't bother to recover himself. This girl, she isn't normal. What normal kind of person asks those types of questions? And in such a blunt way! Ichigo was starting to think she really did blend in with the other customers.

She was unfazed by his retort, shrugging as she said "I saw that symbol before, is all. Is it for a club of sorts?" Ichigo's fingers whitened as his grip on the counter tightened.

Where the hell would she have seen that symbol? She… No, she couldn't know about that world. She doesn't have a strong enough spiritual pressure.

"I don't know. It's my friend's."

The girl didn't pry anymore, and when she started to pull out her wallet Ichigo found himself exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding. She placed another $20 bill on the counter top, and gracefully got on her feet. Ichigo couldn't will himself to return her smile, which was thrown over her shoulder as she started to walk away.

"More money for the university fund," The door chimed as she opened it, "have a good night~"

"_How did you know I was lying?" The orangette held Ichigo's gaze, her bright blue eyes gleaming with such a passion that it became hard for him to breathe. _

"_Your eyes can never lie, Ichigo-kun."_

Ichigo tore his eyes away from the frosted door to the folded bill on the counter.

There was something in her eyes; she wasn't telling the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Guest(s): Thanks for your support! I really appreciate all the comments ^^ I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! _

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**3\. **

Ichigo went up to the cashier, eyeing the groceries placed on the black mat. Did he forget something? No, this time he brought a list, so he couldn't have. Since moving to Mura Town, Ichigo resents the idea of grocery shopping. Because he lives in the rougher side of town, it takes him an hour to reach the good grocery market. So if he forgets something he has to live without it.

As Ichigo hands the money to the cashier, his eyes catch a blob of red reaching the exit doors of the store. It's a woman's coat; long enough to reach her knees, while her hair is down in lazy curls.

Cola girl?

His eyes never fleet from her silhouette, not as he stuffs the change into his pocket and grabs the bags of food. Before Ichigo even realized it, his feet were bringing him towards her, and the distance was decreasing between the two of them.

It wasn't until the girl glanced over her shoulder that Ichigo second thought his actions. A smile pulled across her face, and she stopped walking.

"Oh, hey there Ichigo!"

"Hey-" Ichigo's steps slowed, his eyes narrowing. "Wait, how do you know my name?" There was a flash in her eyes, so quick that Ichigo first thought he had imagined it. Her reply came quick enough.

"I came one night when you weren't working, and the other bartender told me. Kutzki, I think his name was." Her fingers uneasily rolled a lock of hair around her finger, "is it weird that I asked about you?" Ichigo's features softened the slightest bit. He wasn't counting on an answer like that. It almost felt… truthful. Still, Ichigo had a lot of questions that raised his suspicion, so just because he trusted this one answer doesn't mean he trusted her.

"Uh, no. I guess not." The girl advanced two steps, so that she stood directly in front of Ichigo, her hand outstretched for his.

"I think it's time for a proper introduction, don't you?" Ichigo hesitantly took her hand, "It's nice to be your acquainted Ichigo; my name is [Name]." His lips formed a line, just the tips ghosting an uneasy smile. He recognized his awkwardness, but [Name] seemed to brush it off easily, which he felt thankful for. He would have repeated his name, but what would be the point in that?

She moved so that she stood almost beside him, facing the same direction he was. Her fingers readjusted around the grocery bag as she craned her neck to meet his gaze, "So, this is kinda far from your work, isn't it? Do you live around here?" Ichigo noticed that they started to walk together, heading towards the bus station.

"Nah, I live by the Bar. There's just better food here." [Name] nodded her head as he spoke, her smile never once dropping. She glanced back once, checking over her shoulder, before returning her gaze to the bus stop.

"I agree; the food downtown is kind of sketchy, you know?" She giggled. "Plus it's cheaper."

"You need to save money?" That was rude- Ichigo frowned as his question slipped from his mouth, a raw exclamation. But [Name] didn't seem offended, so he didn't apologize. She shrugged.

"Why else would I live in such a bad area?"

So she does live near the pub. Despite this response, Ichigo still had his doubts, or at least suspicion. He's no pro when it comes to fashion, but he can at least recognize expensive clothes when he sees them; and [Name's] are not cheap. At least out of budget for someone who lives downtown, or someone who has to worry about cheaper groceries. But he didn't challenge her on this.

"Oh, this is my bus," she murmured, and much to Ichigo's surprise, it was his too.

"Yeah, me too." [Name] boarded first, flashing her bus-pass before finding an empty seat near the back of the bus. Ichigo hesitated as she waved him over to the spare seat beside her. He inwardly sighed. Of course it's the only one available. Just as the bus jerked forward, Ichigo took a seat beside [Name], keeping his limbs carefully to himself.

"So, University, eh," Ichigo shrugged, "How much longer till you graduate?" He was very aware of the silence radiating throughout the bus, which is what caused him to sigh. He knew people would listen in; how could they not? This is why he lowered his voice, hoping that [Name] would do the same.

"I'm in my first year right now, so I still have a while."

"Ah. So, what, you becoming a doctor or something?"

Damn her voice is loud. "Yeah."

"That's cool! I'm always hurting myself, so it would really help having a friend who has medical knowledge." Friend? "I'll come to you next time I get a cut~" There was a conversation that started near them, and then another started in the front. Ichigo let out a breath of relief; now not all the attention would be on them.

Ichgio awkwardly inched away, pivoting so his gaze would meet hers. "Look, you seem really nice, but I'm not looking for friends right now." Her smile slowly fell, sobering. "I'd actually like to be alone right now."

When [Name] smiled, Ichigo could see pity in her eyes. His eyes narrowed as he watched her stand, using the metal bar beside Ichigo to support herself, while looming over him. Her voice dropped significantly; her words were only for him. His spine straightened as her strong gaze locked with his.

"I used to say that, too."

And then she exited the bus, Ichigo's gaze on her silhouette. His brows furrowed.

What the hell does that mean?

* * *

[Name] unlocked her front door, putting some weight into the door as she shoved it open; those doors were surprisingly heavy. She used her shoulder to close her door, and slipped off her shoes as she entered her run-down house. The lights hummed as they flickered to life, illuminating the plainly fashioned apartment suite.

[Name] set down her groceries, abandoning the imperishable food on the countertop to go to her laptop. One new email.

"Hm, from Rukia-san?" she murmured "hello [Name]… wondering how its going…. Blah blah…. Have you made any process with Ichigo?" This made her hesitate.

Has she made any process? Well, they talked for a couple minutes, but nothing significant. He told her about University, so that could be considered _something. _He's warming up. That's a good sign.

"Dear Rukia…" typing echoed throughout her apartment, "Ichigo is just starting to warm up to me, but it will take time… But hopefully, we'll be heading back to Kurakura Town soon."


	4. Chapter 4

:)

**Chuain:** Thank you! Yeah, I really wanted to do something different- and I didn't want to cut the normal IchiHime relationship out because they make such a good pair ^^ I hope you enjoy the rest of the story too!

**Guest:** Here is more! Hope you enjoy it :)

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4.

The bar was busy, for once, filled with intimidating men. A biker family, Ichigo had assumed. As he poured a glass of Cola he watched the men as they either crowded around the bar and talked, or played a couple rounds of pool. The regulars stayed towards the other side of the pub, where the television was.

And then there was [Name], comfortably sitting in her usual spot, waiting for her Cola. Her coat hung on the back of her chair, revealing her off-the-shoulder shirt and leggings, followed by a pair of brown leather boots. She looked so out of place in the rough sea of bikers.

"Thanks," she chimed as the glass was placed in front of her. Ichgio half-smiled back. He paused as he watched her tilt the glass back and chug it. She acted as if the other night never happened. Wasn't she offended by what he said?

A silver bracelet hung on her wrist, some of the charms catching light and sparkling. That brand was expensive, he recognized. Yuzu had always wanted one of them. How could she….

Ichigo's body suddenly tensed, his eyes narrowing as he saw her purple flesh.

"Ah! That hit the spot; can you please get me another one, Ichigo-kun?" When she got no reply, [Name's] smile started to falter. "What's wrong….?" Her eyes followed his line of vision, and instantly darkened. But before she could hide her arm, Ichigo had a firm grasp on her wrist, and was bringing her closer for him to inspect.

"Who did this to you?" The bruise on [Name's] arm had the impression of a hand, which was curled around her bicep, right above the crook of her elbow. When [Name] pulled against Ichigo's grasp, he let her go.

"Don't worry about it Ichigo," her tone was different from before, duller. She was already fumbling for her wallet.

"[Name]…" The girl paused her movements, but kept her head hung low. "If someone is hurting you, you can't protect them." Though, the print didn't exactly _look _human… She suddenly snapped her head up, and Ichigo's chest started to ache painfully. This situation is all too familiar.

[Name] kept on smiling, even if Ichigo never returned it. "A guy grabbed me on my way home the other day; he just took some of my money but that was it! Look, I'm a tough girl Ichigo. I promise I'm okay." Orihime had told him a similar thing once, and faked a similar smile. _'Don't worry about me; I'm okay. I promise.'_ But Ichigo barley knew this girl… Is it even his place to speak up?

However [Name] didn't even give Ichigo the chance, because she placed the $20 bill on the counter and had already pushed past into the crowd of bikers. Faintly, he could hear to chime of the bell, signaling the opening of the bar door.

Ichigo glanced over at his co-worker, who was busy grabbing beer from the side fridge. Could he handle things by himself?

A low howl emitted through the bar, sending a bolt of electricity into Ichigo's heart. The hairs on his arms stood on end. No one else in the bar reacted to this scream; so it was emitted from something that only he could hear. It's been months since he last heard the cry of one, but it was unmistakable.

A hollow.

Right outside of the pub, where [Name] fled to.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello! So I know this is a super short chapter, and it's been awhile since I last posted anything. So because of that I will be posting the next chapter tomorrow, hopefully in the morning, but if not tomorrow nonetheless! I promise it's a good one!


	5. Chapter 5

**Ermilus: **You'll find out who she is in the next chapter, though this one defiantly gives more information! That's a good guess, btw! Thanks for commenting, it makes me really happy to know that someone likes my writing (: Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well.

* * *

5.

The scream was crystal clear; ripping through the still air like a gust of wind. [Name] was running down the street, her legs burning from the tension of her heels. But she had to lead it away from the pub; she couldn't risk Ichigo seeing her in her Soul Reaper form.

A pain was inflicted in her hip as a long tail smacked into her, sending her body to tumble down the road. Her body rolled to a stop a block later, finally coming to a halt at a four-way intersection.

"This'll have to be far enough," she spoke through gritted teeth, arms propping her body up from the pavement. She ripped her necklace off, and almost instantaneously a gust of wind wrapped around her, reacting to her released energy. Her fingers dug through the lining of her coat as she watched the bird-like Hollow glide its way towards her. She gripped a skull-like disk and she roughly pressed it against the flesh under her collarbone.

By the time her soul ripped out of her body she was only given a second's time to defend herself against the spiked tail of the Hollow, using her zanpakuto to deflect the spikes. Both she and the Hollow were thrown back from the collusion; both landed cleanly.

She was given no time to catch her breath, since the spikes from its tail shot towards her. She flash-stepped out of the way while running towards the Hollow, continuing this to decrease the distance between her and the demon.

"[NAME]!"

Her eyes widened and her concentration was disrupted. Ichigo was running up from her left, coming from the direction of the pub. He skidded to a halt at the end of the sidewalk and just stood there; his jaw dropped and eyes widened to capacity.

She could see the threat coming from her right, and flash-stepped forward. There was a throbbing pain in her side, which she was forced to ignore; she could only focus on the Hollow. [Name] could avoid all the attacks that were swung in her way, though her speed was noticeably decreasing. After a couple more dodges she was given an opening. With her blade in hand, [Name] lunged at the Hollow's mask.

But her body froze; she lost all control of her limbs. For the first time, the Hollow showed its intelligence. A cackling laugh echoed through the air as [Name] started to fall, and a spiked tail came aiming straight at her.

"[NAME]!"

Her breathing picked up as her body was hurled in another direction, pain etching through her- but not the same pain she would have felt if the Hollow's spikes had stabbed into her. "What did you do to her?!" The voice was from above her head; Ichigo must have been holding her.

He…. Saved her?

"There's a paralysis poison in my spikes; once it enters the bloodstream it takes thirty seconds to completely take over the nervous system and paralyze the body. This way I can capture them with no struggle, and my victims can still _feel_ me rip through their tasty flesh."

The pressure around her changed; [Name] could feel the density of her surroundings grow heavy as she was suddenly put back into her body. She could then feel the full affect of pain from her wound, and the bitter cold from the autumn air.

"I guess this leaves me with no choice then," the sound of metal dragging across cement could be heard, "I have to come out of retirement."


	6. Chapter 6

**MYMYTHEGREAT:** Yaaaay! Haha I love your reaction ^^ Don't apologize, and I really hope that you like this chapter as well! I'll try to keep posting chapters (though we're close to the end)

**Ermilus:** Thank you, haha I thought it was a cute way to end the chapter (:

* * *

6.

Her muscles were sore; that was what she felt even before opening her eyes. There was a pain in her side, stinging as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. The blanket fell as she moved, gathering at her hips. The first thing [Name] noticed was the gauze taped to her side, protecting the cut underneath- right; she was just in a battle. But how did she…

"_Ichigo", _his name smoothly rolled off her tongue, causing her heart to skip a beat.

He saw her in her soul reaper form.

[Name] cautiously looked around then, taking in the plain accessories in the room- probably Ichigo's bedroom. There was a small table, a bed (which she was laying on), two boxes stacked on each other, and a closet.

[Name] let out the softest sigh, balling the covers in tight fists. Ichigo had saved her; he fought to save her life. That thought was taking a while to set in; [Name] has only been saved once in her life, and it took a long time to make up for it. Though [Name] couldn't imagine Ichigo holding this act against her, she still felt a need to repay him.

There was also the unsettling disappointment at the thought of missing Ichigo in action; she's always wanted to witness him in battle.

"Oh, you're awake."

[Name's] shoulders jolted as her head sprung to see Ichigo, who held a wet cloth at his side. His brown eyes shifted uneasily, eyeing her frail form as she uncomfortably looked up at him, waiting. "How do you feel?" She cracked the smallest smile.

"Well, I can move now, so that's a good start." Ichigo nodded, and with obvious hesitation, he walked towards [Name] to place the damp towel on the back of her neck. A chill ran down her spine.

"For your fever," he mumbled. Ichigo looked uncomfortable near her; maybe confused- _he's defiantly confused_, but maybe there's something else there too… Anger? [Name] bit her bottom lip; she has to explain herself.

[Name] felt exhausted then, her cheeks flushing as she tried to pick herself up. "I need to explain myse-" A warm hand stopped her speech. Her widened eyes met a pair of brown ones as her torso was slowly pushed to the mattress.

"Don't be stupid; you're obviously not feeling well." [Name] let out a shaky breath as Ichigo pulled the damp cloth from behind her neck, and placed it on her forehead. "That poison really messed you up, so for now… Just shut up, okay?"

Pink dusted her cheeks. "Okay…" And on that note, Ichigo silently left the room, closing the door behind himself. And Ichigo must had been right, because within minutes [Name] found herself in a dreamless slumber.

* * *

His house was small; the walls bore only a couple pictures of his intimate family, and he only had the bare minimum amount of furniture. His home matched hers actually, quite well. This was only more evidence of his fragile wellbeing; [Name] couldn't see a single photo of Orihime.

"So now that you're comfy, I'll be needing answers."

Even if Ichigo had bandaged the gash on her side, attended her fever, and allowed her to sleep in his room, he acted as if she were his hostage. He made sure she was backed against the wall in the empty living room, nothing within reach(aside from her tea), and made sure to remind her of her dire situation. His guard went up the moment the poison wore off.

[Name] tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I presume you do," her breath hitched as she made the mistake of peering into Ichigo's glare. Instead, she diverted her stare to her red coat, which was sprawled across the dining table. Her lips twitched a smirk. "I guess it's only fair since I know so much about you~"

"Quit that-"[Name] flinched "-that freaking teasing-game is pissing me off! I'm only giving you one chance before I send you back out to those Hollows. Now tell me who the hell you are."

[Name] took a sip of her tea, savoring the sweet taste before lifting her eyes to Ichigo's. Her gaze was neutral.

"Orihime was a good friend of mine," she watched as his eyes narrowed, "we wrote to each other for years; she told me all about her life; her brother's death, her new friend Rukia… Her boyfriend…" Ichigo swallowed a lump in his throat, and kept soft eyes pasted to the floorboards. [Name] took in a deep breath, calming the ripples of emotion that threatened to crush her speech, "When Orihime stopped writing to me I got worried; so after a couple months of not receiving any letters, I came to Kurakura Town to check on her…" [Name] noticeably grew uneasy, shifting her weight and awkwardly biting down on her lower lip. "That's when I met Rukia; another Soul Reaper. She told me everything…" [Name] pushed a smile to her lips "well, not until after I killed a Hollow, but anyways, she eventually directed me here. To you."

The two were silent; [Name] only waiting for Ichigo to peak some emotion. It worried her that he became so distant so quickly. Rukia had warned her that he would keep his emotions buried deep, but she had hoped that he would have at least showed a flicker of grief.

"Why did you want to find me?"

Even if he wasn't looking, [Name] smiled. "Orihime always told me that I have the gift of happiness; I have a way of healing people, apparently. Orihime wrote to me after she was kidnapped by Aizen," Ichigo's eyes darted to hers, "she made me promise that if anything were to happen to her, I'd find you." [Name] carefully rested the tips of her fingers on top of Ichigo's hand. "She feared that you would fall into a dark state."

For a moment it seemed like Ichigo was listening to her. [Name] could see it in his eyes; he was considering her words carefully. She could reel him in.

"If Orihime saw how you are now, she'd be so sad." Ichigo flinched like she had struck him. "You gave up on everything, Ichigo! Not only did you give up on being a Soul Reaper, but you deserted your friends! Ichigo they miss you too; you need to go home to them."

Ichigo abruptly stood, tearing himself from the conversation. [Name's] expression fell dramatically as she watched Ichigo walk towards the table with her jacket, his eyes shadowed by his orange bangs. "Ichigo?"

"Orihime's death was no accident; it was because of me being a Soul Reaper that got her killed. My existence there was what put her and everyone else in danger; trust me, its better if I stay here." Ichigo's hand suddenly wrapped around [Name's] forearm to yank her to her feet and drag her towards the front door. "The last thing I need is Soul Reapers around here, so do me a favor and go back home, and tell Rukia that I'm fine." [Name's] jaw was hanging as her coat was pushed into her hands; she was suddenly standing in the apartment lobby. When she turned to face Ichigo, his face was contorted into a glare. "And stay the hell out of this; I don't even know you!"

The door slamming shut choked her, knocking wind out of her lungs.

[Name] could feel blood seeping through the white bandages on her side, but she hardly cared. She was too focused on the burning of her throat as she struggled to hold in the tears that threatened her.

This Ichigo is much different from the one she had read about.

And for some reason, that broke her heart.


End file.
